Heaven is for Real By: Todd Burpo Review By: Andrew Williams

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of Colton, the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor. His stomach begins to hurt, he goes to the doctor and it is misdiagnosed as the flu. As his symptoms get worse they find out his appendix has burst and it has been flowing poison into his body for weeks now. While operating on it he goes unconscious and enters heaven. He survived and told the story about being able to see the doctor operating on him and his dad praying by his bedside. He also tells amazing stories about Angels and how they all had wings, his mom then asks if he had wings. He said yeah, but they were small and then there was Jesus who didn’t have wings and just floated up and down. His mom then remembers in the bible when it said almost exactly that. Colton said he met his miscarried sister, that no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born. He told them things that he would have had no idea about, if he didn’t meet them in heaven.

        As there is really not much more I should tell you, so you can find out for yourself. I can just flat out say that this is an amazing book that will make the non-believers wonder and thrill the ones who do believe in heaven. This book will keep you thinking and on the edge of your seat wondering how in the…? You will sit there thinking the whole time about Colton and I really enjoy a book that keeps me thinking. I give this book five thumbs up. I suggest that everyone read this no matter who you are, or how old you are, or what you believe in, this is a book for everyone who wants to be astonished.

Worlds of the Crystal Moon: Magic of Luvells

This is a complete follow up to my last blog here!:

In this book, we follow our hero's again through even more tasks. They are in Luvells now looking for the new piece of the crystal moon. The war is still raging between the gods, and it is getting very hectic. Also the main character, George, has been brainwashed into thinking he could become a god! So now he is also on his own journey to find the crystal pieces. Stay tuned for more !

Now with this book, I do have some things that I wish I could change. First, that they would switch to George more often then Sam and Shaylee. Usually it goes like this. Sam and Shaylee for like 2 chapters then George comes in for a single paragraph. That really does Peave me off...Also they should incorperate Sams magical sword. It can talk, magicaly go on fire, and when does he use it? Not very much. Well not until a gory chapter.

This book does also have amazing moments. THIS IS A SPOILER SO WATCH OUT! My main parts of the book is when one of the gods babies is in complete danger because of George. I don't know what happens next, but I heard it was amazing. Also at the end of the book, George completely tricks Shaylee into getting trapped inside a orb that George has. That completely made me want to read the next book.

So I would suggest that if you like adventure, fantasy, a little bit science fiction, and lots of epic battles, you should tottaly read this book. But there is a warning I should give right now. This book has some Dirty and/or very gory violence throughout the chapters. So if you are going to read this, then be warned. I would give this book an A.

Unwind

    What do you do with an unwanted pregnancy? Depending on your moral views, you would abort it. But what if that wasn't possible? What if abortion was illegal? What if the alternative was so shocking, so ghastly, so completely illogical and insane, yet it was totally ordinary and accepted in American society? Granted, most people wouldn't view it as that, because it was just so common. It's called unwinding. Unwinding is where between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, an unwanted child can retroactively be aborted by the parents. It is done so by practically dismembering the child, which all of their body parts are then given to those who need them (excluding the 'useless' body parts such as the appendix). However, since all of the parts are still alive, just with somebody else, the child is not technically 'dead', but in a 'divided state'. This shocking book tells what happens when the unthinkable is the norm, and when three teenagers scheduled to be unwound rebel.
    Connor is a sixteen year old who inadvertently discovered his unwind document in his parents' files. His parents view him as an out of control delinquent. Risa is a ward of the state, a very talented pianist, and is being unwound due to budget cuts. Lev is a tithe to his religion, being raised from birth to believe that his unwinding is a service to God. These three will accidentally cross paths (Lev under the impression that he is being kidnapped by the first two, and is probably the only one in the world that wants to be unwound) and the journey they take will forever change society as a whole.

    I absolutely loved this book, I have never been so intrigued by an idea which is absolutely mental, but everyday practice. During the first about five pages, I hated the characters of this book (I'm like that with every book). After that however, I started to gradually like him, and the others. What's interesting about the point of view in this particular novel, is every chapter, you follow another character around, it's still  told in third person, but you gain insight onto what the other characters think and feel. I actually felt terrible for Roland during his unwinding (It goes quite into detail on the process), who was one of the central antagonists of the book. It's actually pretty chilling to think about how this would actually be possible within the next couple of decades, if people were to get so uptight over a very dumb issue. For the record, I think abortion is okay up until around six weeks after conception. I do not however, condone it. Other than that, I think it's wrong to get one unless the mother's life or the baby's life were in danger. But I also believe that if you want one, get one. It's your life, not mine. I shouldn't have control over your choices. I give this book an A+ by far, it totally deserves it.

Shiver : Maggie Stiefvater

          Grace has been in love with the wolvesever since they attacked her.  Every winter she watches the most important wolf of all. The whole town is against her love of the wolves because they killed Jack Culpeper, but she can't resist. Especially on one winter day.

         When Grace gets home one night she sees a boy on her porch who has been shot! On the way to the hospital she reconized his burning yellow eyes. Her wolf! But, he was human?  Confused she asked his name. Sam. Her wolf was an actual person! For how long?  In the hospital she found out he was different. His wounds heal quickly, he turns in to a wolf in the winter, human in the summer no big deal. What!  He was a wolf, how could she like a wolf?

         What should she do? What could she do? She can't leave him there. So, the takes him home, and he secrelty lives in her bedroom. other then hiding in her house, and fighting the could. Grace and Sam enjoy each others company. They enjoy it so much that they start dating! AWW!

          In Graces' eyes everyting is perfect until a wolf appears at her school. It was Jack! But, Jacks dead? WRONG! jacks a wolf, and he's mad! He wants a cure. didnt Grace get bitten? She didn't turn into a wolf,  she must have the cure!

          So, Jack tries the get Grace and ends up with Sam.  Grace needs to find a cure before Jack dies or bites anymore people, and Sam becomes a wolf  forever!

          I LOVED this book. Oh My Gosh, it was amazing i finished it in three days. That's how good it is! It was an Action packed romance book. My favorite! If you don't like romance you might want to close your eyes because there is a lot of kissing. Also, I usually write about the bigger issue, but this book is about werewolves so. . .  One thing I can give you is the two other books in the series. The second one is Linger, and the third is Forever.

        This URL is not a movie  about Shiver, but this is how I picture Shiver would be if it became a movie or television show. ( Yes it is a trailer for the MTV Series Teen Wolf.)

Rate the Book: A+

Rate the Trailer: PG-13

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It's an awesome fictional book about Greek mythology and totally follows the Hero's Journey. Although this book is built around Greek mythology it is put into a modern day setting like New York, California, and Denver. Rick Riordan makes this story a page turner and extremely fun to read when you can relate to some of the places that our mentioned.

Percy who is the main character that we follow around is what we call a Demi god. That means he's half god half human, and has some crazy super powers. Only thing is he doesn't even know about these powers. Ever since Percy was a little kid strange things have happened to him, like being able to hold his breathe underwater for unrealistic amounts of time. But what happens when you go on a field trip and you blow up a water fountain?

Throughout the book Percy learns who he is and even though he doesn't like it at first he comes to accept his abilities. Also a really good theme of this book could easily be family. Sally Jackson who is Percy's mom loves him unconditionally and has only ever tried to keep him safe and away from monsters that often try to attack Demi gods. When Hade’s captures Percy’s mom Percy wants nothing more than to save his mom from the underworld. This is a perfect example of what family means to him.

This book is full of action and adventure; it's a book that you don't want to sit down and leaves you thinking after every chapter. There’s no extreme violence or anything that would prohibit from someone not reading this book. I really enjoyed this book and so far the rest of the series. I give this book an A for sure.

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz

Point Blank, the second of the Alex Rider series, was written by Anthony Horowitz.  Anthony Horowitz has also written many books that include: Evil Star, House of Silk, and obviously The Alex Rider series.

Point Blanc is and academy in the SWISS Alps.  Point Blanc is also where rich parents send their mischievous teenage sons to change and take responsibility.  Point Blanc is also, most importantly, where Alex Rider is sent.  No, Alex is not rich.  No, Alex is not mischievous.  No, Alex is not a regular teenager.  

Now you might be wondering what is someone like Alex Rider doing in a place like Point Blanc.  Well, the thing is, Alex works as a spy for Britain's intelligence agency, also know as MI6.  He was sent their to investigate after two wealthy men are killed.  These two men have one thing in common.  Their sons.  Both of these men's sons attend Point Blanc.  So, MI6 send Alex Rider, their youngest spy and the only person that could play the part, to investigate.  When Alex investigates, he is in awe as to what he finds out.  Will Alex find out what is wrong before it is too late?

This sci-fiction book was uniquely interesting and entertaining.  In this book, Alex Rider is a teenage spy...A TEENAGE SPY!!!  Because he is a teenage spy, this book contains tons and tons of action, suspense, and mysteriousness.  Action, suspense, and mysteries.  If you combine these 3 things into a book.  Well, let's just say this.  You will be entertained for the whole time from the first 5 sentences you read to the very last word of the very last page.

In this book, something goes horribly wrong and Alex is left thinking that he is by himself without the help from the people who sent him to do this mission.  He assumed that MI6 did not care or forgot about him.  Later in the book, Alex yells at the people telling them how he felt.  Then, he discovers that they trusted him and were with him the whole time.  He just didn't know that they were alongside with him the whole entire time.  After reading this book, I was taught that I should not assume what I do not know.  Like Alex, I tend to assume things about people that I didn't know the whole story about.  This book is not only filled to the brim with action, suspense, and mysteriousness, but also has a great lesson to offer to its' readers.

One of Horowitz's opinions that I do not agree with is that you should just let things fall were they may.  Or in other words, just wing-it.  I do not think that it was very wise of Alex or MI6 just to "wing-it."  I think at least they should have a plan.  Even though they did not know anything accept that bad boys were going in and good  men were coming out.  They should have at least had a plan even for the unknown.  It just seems that MI6, Britain's top intelligence agency, would have a plan for their missions.

This is some dialogue from Mr. Blunt( MI6 President) to Mrs. Jones( MI6 Vice).

"And if Alex contacts us again?"

"Then we'll go in."

"We may be too late."

"For Alex?  I'm sure you don't need to worry about him, Mrs. Jones.  He can look after himself."

(Horowitz, Anthony. New York: the Penguin Group, 2002. 191. Print.)

If you are interested in reading this rather awesome book, pay attention  to ALL of the details because it will all come into play in the last few chapters.

Save Me By: Lisa Scottoline

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is an amazing realistic fiction and mystery book.  It is a book that I would recommend to everyone.  It may sound like a girl's book but I think that boys would also enjoy it.

In this book, the main character, Melly, has a birthmark on her cheek and many of the kids in her class tease her because of it.  When Melly and her family move to Reesburgh, the bullying continues.  One day, Amanda Gigot was teasing Melly by smearing jelly on her cheek.  Melly ran and locked herself in the handicapped bathroom.  Melly's mother, Rose McKenna, a volunteer lunch mom, goes and asks Amanda why she was teasing Melly.  Moments later, the cafeteria explodes into flames.  Rose is knocked unconcious.  When she awakens, she is faced with the choice of saving her own daughter or saving teh three girls in front of her. 

In a flash, Rose grabbed Amanda and her two friends and escorts them to the teacher at the door that leads to the playground.  Then, she runs back inside the cafeteria to save Melly.  The bathroom door is locked so Rose has to be creative in order to find a way inside.  She finally gets inside, grabs Melly adn runs outside in search of medical help.  When she arrives at the hospital, she learns that Amanda was never accounted for in her class and that Amanda's mother was planning to sue her.  Throughout the rest of the book, Rose is trying to prove that she did take care of Amanda before her own daughter and eventually solves a murder mystery.

This book is definitely a page-turner.  I absolutely loved it.  It was a really quick read and was a lot of fun to read.  I think that the author did an amazing job at portraying the character's feelings, emotions, and personality.  Just to let you know, this book ends in a way that leads you to think that there would be a second book.  It kind of leaves you hanging.  Before reading this book, I would have never thought taht someone would actually balme another person for harming a child when really that put their own child at risk while they saved the other child(ren).

Like I said, I absolutely loved this novel.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic fiction, murder mystery, and thriller stories.  I would rate this book an A+.

Divergent

     Divergent is a super suspenseful book by Veronica Roth. I kind of thought it read like The Hunger Games. It is pretty similar with power and the government and stuff like that. It is a very thrilling book that has tons of cliffhangers. It has you on the edge of your seat the whole book. You just never know what is going to happen next. Their is a lot of pretty brutal times where someone gets the crap beat out of them and others are actually somewhat fragile. It is a very good book and once you start reading you might not be able to stop. 

     There are five different factions that people choose to go into when they're sixteen. The Dauntless (the brave), Abnegation(the selfless), the Erudite(the intelligent), the Candor(the honest), and the Amity(the peaceful). Beatrice grew up in Abnegation but chose to switch to the Dauntless. She went through the three stages of Dauntless initiation, meeting multiple friends on her way, and came into the Dauntless as rank number one in her age. After the initiates complete the third stage they are injected with what they think is a tracking device. The next day Beatrice wakes up to her initiates under control of the Erudite leader Jeanine. Beatrice is not controlled by this because she is special. She is Divergent. She finds her family and Four, her trainer, and tries to rescue everyone she can but Four is captured and put under control as well. Later, Beatrice has to face Four, after already losing her mom and dad. Four is able to fight off the control and they destroy the control system. They run away to the Amity after starting a war. 

     This was by far one of my favorite books ever. It was intense, fast paced, and had me on the edge of my seat the whole book. There is only one word to describe this book. "AMAZING." It was the only book I have enjoyed in a long time. Everyone should read this book. 

Demon Thief by Darren Shan

Kernel Fleck isn't a normal child. He sees light patches in the air. These lights are like "puzzle pieces" that he can manipulate with his mind and hands and, if put together, make a door, which open to the Demonata, a demon world. When a demon steals his brother, Art, and takes him to the Demonata, Kernel decides to do anything to get him back.

The book starts out explaining Kernel's life. You learn that Kernel is an outcast; a loner. Nobody likes him, and people push him away. His brother, Art, is the only reason why he doesn't ALWAYS feel lonely. He loves Art, and Art loves him, but when Cadaver (a demon) steals Art and takes him to the demon world (and slaughters about 30 kids), Kernel isn't having it.

Once in the Demon world, he sees that he is not the only human. There are people called the "Disciplines". They protect the human world from the Demonata and are trying to destroy the demon world. Beranabus, the oldest, and leader of the Disciplines, shows him that Kernel is also a Discipline. So technically, he's a magician. Not only does he have to rescue Art and fight demons, but he also has to figure out his new powers.

This book is absolutely horrid. Horrid as in swearing, very gory scenes that are TOO descriptive, and overall just a very poor written book. No offense to Shan, but I felt like half the time I was reading Demon Thief, I was asking myself if it had been written by a 4 year old. The sentences are choppy and confusing, and I get that he was trying to add voice, but it didn't work.

You know, when you really think about it, you see that kids are absolutely horrible to this kid. They push him in corners and laugh at him. One thing that made me want to cry, is that he's never had a friend. Also, that people would tell him to, "Go play with the lights, freak!". Do you know how sad it would be to live in a world where no one, not even your parents, wanted you? Throughout the book I found myself pitying the poor kid. He just wants a friend.

CAUTION! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE A QUEASY STOMACH. I'm warning you now. These scenes are absolutely disgusting for some (I actually thought it added to the story, and I have a demented mind as it is, so it didn't really bother me) with stuff like the Disciplines sliding in blood and guts and puking then sliding in that, monsters slaughtering children and giving PRISTINE description of how it happened, and even a witch exploding in front of children, which soaks them in her blood and guts. Overall though, I actually liked this book. Creepy? Yes. Adventurous? Yes. Totally wicked awesome? Yes.

Score: B+ (For stupid writing)
Rating: There is not a rating that goes high enough. :)

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Woman in Black is a spine-chilling horror/thriller story about the experience of a man named Arthur Kipps. Arthur starts out telling a story to his second wife's kids. He didn't want to, but they wanted him to, so he did. His story isn't a nice one. It's a story that Arthur has tried very hard to forget.

Arthur has to do the dead Mrs. Drablow's paperwork, and he has to go to the Eel Marsh House to do it. There are many rumors about that house. People keep telling Arthur that he shouldn't go in the house because it's haunted, but he's a man. Why should he believe in silly stories like that? Before Arthur can go to the house, he must attend Mrs. Drablow's funeral. At the funeral, Arthur sees someone who looks wasted with sickness. She's dressed all in black. She doesn't give Arthur a happy feeling. Arthur tries to ask people who she is, but when people hear of her, they become too afraid to speak.

Arthur goes to the Eel Marsh House and starts on Mrs. Drablow's paperwork. He finds useless things. He also finds a locked door. This door eventually comes unlocked and he finds the Woman in Black. He later finds out that she is looking for her child, who was taken from her. When the Woman is seen, a child mysteriously dies. Soon, Arthur can't take anymore of her. He returns to London where his home is, marries a woman named Stella, and has a child. A year after the child is born, Arthur has almost forgotten about the Woman. He had forgotten about her, until he saw her again. Then, there's an accident and the child dies, and Stella dies ten months later. That is Arthur Kipps' terrifying story.

As many of you know, there is a movie. You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBHeFA_LoGc&feature=share . The movie is good, but the book is better. I give The Woman in Black an A+. It was very suspenseful, and it was a book that made me think. However, this book probably shouldn't be read by those of you who are scared easily, because it might give you nightmares. But for those of you who enjoy books like this, I recommend it! The book is a little difficult to understand because it is older, but you do get used to it. This book never bored me! The book didn't really have a theme, but the plot was excellent. I reccomend reading the book before seeing the movie, if it's not too late.

The Hunger Games~ Suzanne Collins

" I take his hand, holding it tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go." Although used as the last sentence in The Hunger Games, I guess I might as well use it as a start to my book review. If you couldn't tell, I read The Hunger Games; and one word... AMAZING! At the start, I only read it to stop the amazed looks I'd get when I said I hadn't read it, but in the end I totally LOVED it. It is hard to explain it, but I would say if I had to describe it I would probably say it is exciting, romantic, and epic. It's exciting because it moves at a fast pace and is definitely a page turner. Also, it is romantic because, well all adventures are. In this case, it is all the mush with Katniss and Peeta. And lastly it is epic because... it just is okay!? Katniss is amazing and just the whole idea is crazy. And the adventure these kids are forced to go on is one word.. epic. So, there you go. Now, that pretty much sums up my opinion. So, unto the story behind it.

Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old girl who grew up and country called Panem, in district 12. She was just like any other girl in the Seam, hungry and helpless, only one thing set her apart- she hunted. Once her father died, she found food was hard to get on the table and that hunting was the only way, although it was totally illegal. This did not matter it Katniss. She and Gale would go almost everyday to get food on their tables and make a few extra dimes.

It was that time of year again; that time every child between the ages of 12 and 18 dreads and families fear. It was time for the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is more or less the Capitol's way of saying they are still the boss and just to show their power- or at least that is what Katniss says. In my opinion, these 'games' should not be games at all! I think the Hunger Massacre would be a more appropriate title. This is how the games works: 1. A male and female 'tribute' are picked from each district to represent their district in the games. 2. They get sent to the fancy Capitol to be feed and given training (They need to know at least kinda what they are doing or the games would be no fun to watch.) 3. Place all 24 tributes in an arena and watch them slay each other until there is only one tribute left. Simple as that. Three easy steps. This is the Hunger Games. The time for choosing the tributes is now and shock spreads over the citizens of district 12 as Prim Everdeen is chosen. Prim. She had one slip. She is 12. She is too young to die. Again the audience is dumbfounded as Katniss gladly steps in for her younger sister. Then Peeta Mullek is chosen as the male tribute and simple as that- the games begin.

As you go through the book you watch the games as they are 'played' and witness as the tributes one by one die off. This is why the book got an A instead of an A+, at some parts it got a little gory, which does not tickle my fancy. Anyway, there are lots of twist and turns you would never see coming and that is what makes it interesting.

In this book, there could be hundreds of themes. I think one may be that when you work together you both get farther; as displayed with both Katniss and Reu and Katniss and Peeta. It also may be trying to say that kindness always pays off; like with Katniss's run-in with Thresh. Another theme may be that people shouldn't be treated like raved dogs and made to do things most would never want to do. Peeta says that he wants to go and be more then just a piece in their game. I think by this the author is saying that people should be valued and cherished and life should be lived to the fullest, not to be lived in fear and used for others entertainment. I have to agree. Life is so amazing and no one should take away someone else's just for the entrainment of those watching. Each person is an individual and is special and we are not just merely pieces moving through the game board of life but we are real live people that need to be treated that way. On a different note, another one may be that winning is not always as good a deal as it seems and may sometimes include giving up something you love. These are only a few, but these may be what the book is trying to get at.

In a nutshell, this book was the simple definition of extraordinary. It had a little bit of everything to thrill every kind of audience. I would tell anyone to read it and if I had to say one bad thing about this book, it would be that I took so flippen' long to read it. Don't make the same mistake I did.

*Fun Fact! They are coming out with a movie of this ever so amazing book and in only a few short week it is coming to theatures!!! Here is to get you excited. But yet again I still am yet to figure out how to post a trailer... So click on this big long thing

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgssLmsOa2s ) to get in on the action.

Unwind By Neal Shusterman

Unwind is one of the most creepiest books I've ever read. I'm not sure how many of you out there are thriller/ horror fans, but I am definitely one! So, I really enjoyed this book. The author also used a very unique technique. He bounced around to different characters in different chapters. This book is truly one of the best books I've ever read.

It's going to be a little hard to tell the story from one point of view, so I'll give a quick summary of the whole book. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! It starts out introducing the reader to future America, where parents can have their kid unwound if they are misbehaving. What happens with unwinding is top secret, except for the fact their body is taken apart to donate parts to others who need them. We meet a few unwinds and follow their stories throughout the book. Their names are Connor, Risa, and Lev. Connor is a troubled kid who always gets in fights. Risa is an unwanted orphan. Lev is a tithe, and thinks God wants him to be unwound. I didn't really like the whole idea of involving a bunch of religions in the book, but I guess it's necessary. So these three kids end up meeting each other by a huge coincidence and start a long, creepy journey. I won't go into further detail than that which has been said.

My overall opinion of the book was an 'A'. Most of it was suspenseful and awesome. I didn't like the whole religion thing with the tithes though. I also didn't like the romance between some of the characters. It was kind of gross. Another thing that I thought was weird was the whole teenage pregnancy thing. That's downright disgusting. Swearing was mild, but wasn't really necessary.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy, suspenseful movies, stories, or books. It's not another average Goosebumps book. It's creepy, a little wrong, and very descriptive. It is not for jumpy or squeamish people. Trust me on this though; if you do read this book you're in for a major creep out.

Legend

Legend, by Marie Lu, is a post-apocalyptic book that thrills you with its action and mystery. It follows Day and June, both living in the ruins of America; their territory is now known as the Republic. They both have taken the Trial, receiving very different scores. This test basically decides your entire future. It tests you physically and mentally in order to determine if you are capable of defending the government in their war against the Colonies. When June takes the Trial she receives the highest score possible: 1500. She then moves on to train and study at Drake University. While June is in a much higher class, Day, however, is not. June is able to live life without much worry, but Day, he has the opposite. After receiving an extremely low grade, he then goes to the Republic's labor camps, or does he? Even though that's where the government says they go to, Day discovers the truth. When he finds out for himself what really goes on, he rebels against the country, to only fend for himself, and to sneak extra help to his family. He is now one of the Republics most wanted criminals. Very different outcomes, right?

After going on with their normal life (for them) for a little over 5 years, one of Day's family members is infected with the Plague, a life threatening disease that has awful, disturbing symptoms. Being a criminal, Day will do what it takes to make his family better, even if it means risking his life and going against the government. But when Day tries to make a clean get-away after stealing a dose of the scarce antidote, he throws his knife a little to close to a soldiers heart. Even though Day thinks that this is just another soldier he is June's brother. Now, June is determined to hunt Day down, and achieve her goal of getting revenge.

As I was reading Legend I really thought about what the government, or just people in general, have to hide. You may think you know all about a person, but when a dark secret of theirs corrupts, how do you talk to them? Trust them? When they have been so caring and loving for you, you find out it was all just an act. This is a deep thought and many of you might not have or have had this problem, but in Legend it really makes you wonder what people have to hide; specifically the government.

I really liked this book, however I felt there were a few mistakes in the writing. Now I am not a teacher, nor a college graduate, but I felt that they were simple mistakes that anyone could notice, and tell it made a huge difference in the writing. In one sentence it had confused me, it did make sense, but the wording made it difficult to understand. I even talked with two others concluding in an agreement that it was poorly written. Does this sentence confuse you, like it did me? "The pattern makes no sense tonight, though, and I'm too tired to make sense of it." (page 183)

Day and June are both very intelligent. If you have seen any of the Sherlock Holmes movies, they both remind me of Sherlock. Before Sherlock begins a task or plan he specifically goes through his steps, usually having an effect in the end. That is how Day and June are. They also memorize a person's or object's characteristics as soon as they see or hear them. They pay close attention to details that help them discover where they are from, what they look like, their job, and more. I loved reading Legend for this reason and for many others!

When I chose to read Legend I had no idea that it would be so intriguing. With a mind boggling plot, a bit of romance and action, I really enjoyed it. I give Legend an A- for its exciting and questioning story line, but also for its questioning mistakes in the writing.

Project 17- Laurie Faria Stolarz

    Danvers State Hospital stands alone on Hathorne hill. An abandoned mental institution due for demolition. A place rumored to be the birthplace of the labotomy. A place where patients were treated like dirt, crammed into small prisonlike rooms and given medication that increased insanity. A place that all the locals believe to be haunted.

     Six points of view are told in this story. Each person that tells the story goes into the abandoned institution for their own reasons. For Derick it's his only chance to get away from working in his parents bum diner for the rest of his life. For Mimi it's a chance to find out about her grandmother. A woman institutionalized for being an alcoholic, who never saw the light of day afterwards. All Tony wants to do is take control of Dericks production. Greta, Ashley, wants a chance to make it onto a real tv show and hit it big. Liza needs some extracurricular activities in order to get into Harvard. Chet only wants to get away from his alcoholic father for a night. All of them go for different reasons but they all end up being a part of Derricks film.

For the six teens the risks of sneaking into Danvers the eve of its demolition are well worth it. Due to the heightened security the teens take a backroute. They break into a wing of the asylum that is far off the path of where they want to film. Danvers State is connected by miles of tunnels. The teens head into the tunnels after hearing a banging noise. They find everything lying where it was left leaving an eerie feeling around the whole place. There are files and remnants scattered all over the place. However, the teens find more than just files inside the huanted hospital. Most of what they find revolves around a certain person, Christine Belle, and the number 17.

     Throughout the book the six teenagers find out more and more about Christine Belle. A ghost who wants her story told. While they help Christine to rest at peace they learn more and more about who they are, what they should do and what to do with themselves.

     This book touches on many different themes. One of the most reoccuring ones is finding yourself. At the begining of the book there is an overall sense of anomity and having to be who your parents want you to be. Throughout the rest of the book the feeling slowly changes to knowing who you are and distinquishing what YOU want to do and what others expect you to do. The book really shows that you dont have to be who your parents want you to be.

     The book also brings up the awful treatment of mentally unstable people. The book talks about the horror that people living in mental institutions lived. It talks about things that people are uncomfortable talking about and many know nothing about. It educates you about the horrors of being a part of a mental institution if you are willing to look for it. It talks about the nurses who didnt care, doctors who experimented on patients, solitary confinement. They would strip you down and throw you into a room. The different forms of "therapy" used on the poor people that lived there. It was like a prison for the mentally insane. The book talks about things that not everyone wants to hear, but everyone should be aware of.

     Overall I loved this book. Some warnings I have for you are swearing, ghosts, and quesy stomachs. Swearing, this book has a lot of it. If you are opposed to swearing you should not read this book. Ghosts, if they scare you a whole lot you should not read this book. It is a horror story so it was created to scare you. If you hate scary things, then this is not a good book for you. Finally, queasy stomachs. If you are easily sickened by gore, poor living conditions or abuse, dont read this book. It goes into detail about many things that may make you want to be sick.

     I love this book. It was entertaining, thrilling and suspenseful. The book was incredible. It gave me information about things I had no idea about before and also gave me a thrill I havent had in awhile. I encourage all people to read this book.

The Scorch Trials

Thomas and his Glader friends were convinced after “The Maze” that they could back to there old lives. Little did they know that was not how it was going to work out. In the second book of the series "The Scorch Trials ," Thomas and his friends have a whole new challenge ahead of them that no one saw coming. As "WICKED" puts these boys and one girl into an all new scenario, it's almost impossible to stop reading. This is an amazing fictional book that shows how cruel the world can really be.

When Thomas and his Glader friends were saved at the end of "The Maze Runner," they were told that they were going somewhere safe after Teresa triggered “the end” and they managed to escape the maze. Thomas and Teresa are best friends. They can speak telepathically to each other. Oh, they’re kind of in love.

The Gladers find themselves in a structure almost like a dormitory. There's no food, just water. Teresa has disappeared and they can no longer speak telepathically, but Thomas did find another boy in Teresa’s room who can speak telepathically with him. The strangest part of what the new boy explains is that he came from a group B, an all girls group going through the same struggles. A rat faced man, as Thomas describes him, comes to them from WICKED and tells them they have one more trial. Another bomb the rat faced man drops is that everyone has a fatal disease called the "flare" and at the end of the trial the reward is the cure.

This book entire series is based on flares that consumed the Earth, changing its environment and baking the world. The sun flares also unleashed a lethal disease that is nicknamed “the flare.” The government has disintegrated and brought all order down with it. With the world having a dangerous disease and only the richest people in the world being to get a medicine that slows the disease, the world is in chaos. More than most of the population are "Cranks," as they call themselves. Cranks have the flare disease, which drives them insane, and to death. Hunting for their next meal is what matters most, and they will even eat each other.

As the boys battle all new troubles this series gets more interesting. Meeting new friends and new enemies makes this book thrilling all the way to the end. At the end the book has a twist I sure didn't see coming. It's packed full of adventure, suspense, and it's full of creative chaos that still somehow makes perfect sense.

I really enjoyed reading this book it kept me on edge the entire time. This book has some pretty extreme violence that was kind of scary at times. I suggest you read this book though if you like suspense and adventure.

13 Reasons Why.

Let me start off by saying 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher is about suicide. Not ONLY about suicide, but the books is revolved around the subject. The book is a mysterious and suspenseful. Not suspenseful like killing and things like that, but like wondering what's going to happen next and wanting to keep the pages turning.

Hannah Baker is dead. She chose to commit suicide for 13 reasons, and Clay Jensen (a friend/ crush) is about discover them. One day Clay walks up to his house and finds a package waiting for him. Inside are 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah. Hannah's instructions are clear: Clay has to listen to the tapes and figure out how he fits into her death, and then send the tapes to the next person on the list of 13 names. There are 13 reasons why she killed herself, and Clay is one of them.

This book was really interesting. The book kept me wanting to turn the pages trying to figure out who was next on the list. I thought that the book had a great storyline and that the author portrayed the characters really well. I also think that the author brought up really good issues. The book talked about suicide, but I think that the real meaning behind it was that you need to help people through their problems or else they might end up like Hannah. This book.. changed me in a way. It made me think about choices that I should make when helping friends and how to treat people so that they don't feel worthless. Now, as much as I loved the book, I will say that there were some mature "scenes" in the book that some people don't want to read. So, if your one of the people that can't handle vulgar stuff, this might not be the book for you.

I thought this book was really good and that most people will really like it. If you like books that you want to keep turning the pages and that have very strong issues in them, this is the book for you. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone I know. This book was one that I think everyone should read because it will change your outlook on life forever.

Fang by James Patterson

The book Fang by James Patterson is an amazing book at the least. It is a memorable, creative ride full of action packed fight scenes, evil scientists, and confused love triangles that only a thriller/science fiction book can pull off.

Maximum Ride is the courageous yet practical leader of her mutant bird-kid flock, and has seen more than anyone could imagine. She's been chased by unruly, wolverine like things, slept in the subway tunnels of New York, lived in a dog crate for years along with her family, otherwise known as her flock, and has been told her destiny is to save the world. But when 7 year old Angel informs everyone that her right hand man, and love of her life Fang will soon die, Max realizes her worst fear, being alone.

Now, on top of Fang's suggested fate, a new kid appears on the block. Actually, a new kid infused with avian DNA, bird kid DNA, is introduced to the flock. But what the flock doesn't know, is that this new experiment, Dylan, has been designed to be Maximum's perfect match. But how can Dylan compete with Fang and vice versa? This war between lovers pulls the flock apart and creates a tension that anyone can feel. Read the book to find out which direction or directions the flock will take.

The book Fang doesn't only show you the literal fight-or-flight life of a bird kid, but addresses much larger issues. This book has created a theory that global warming will be the Earth's demise, and only advanced species can survive the apocalypse. It makes me think of what can really happen to our planet, but doesn't try to force the issue into my mind. Although this idea of an unclean, dangerous Earth isn't completely original, it has a major twist involving crazy, power hungry scientists and experiments beyond comprehension. This idea was very interesting to me and kept me reading, page after page.

This book is a thrilling read that has you yearning to know the outcome, as the possibilities are endless. It will make you think about who and what can really change the world, and our Earth as we know it, and will also make you think twice before you complain about that hard pillow beneath your head, but will excited you and intrigue you every step of the way. Fang by James Patterson is the 6th book in a 7 book series, and growing, so I suggest that you read the first 5 books to really get your blood flowing, but has the potential to be an intense, electrifying book all on it's own. I give this book an A+, and encourage you to visit your local library and pick up Fang. You won't be disappointed.

Stormbreaker Book Review

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz is an intense real-life fiction novel. The story takes place in the UK, fourteen year-old M16 agent Alex Rider (how he became an agent at 14 is beyond me!) is challenged with the task of stopping a man from destroying all of Britain with the click of a button! ....But how?

As the story begins fourteen year-old Alex Rider is living a normal life in the Ol' UK when he hears about the death of his uncle/adopted parent, Ian rider. The police said that Ian rider was killed in a car accident, but Alex knew that Ian was a safe man and always wore his seatbelt (like everyone should). When Alex goes into investigation he finds his uncles car with crystal clear evidence that Ian Rider had been murdered. Later, he is kidnapped and wakes up in the M16 HQ, where he is told that his uncle had been training him to be a spy. They put him through training and assign him the mission of hunting down a very suspicious man: Herod Sayle. Herod has an evil plan to kill off all of Britain using his Stormbreaker computers. Alex goes through all sorts of obstacles and adventures to find out exactly what Herod is up to, and even more action when the plan is unraveled!

This book is slow in the beginning but so is almost every action book so once you get into it enough, it's non-stop action and suspense! I could not put this book down; I read it every chance I got! This book and most books in the series stress the possibilities and dangers of terrorism, and how some people just want to watch others burn. This book made me wonder more about terrorism and I started to think how far some people are willing to go to make others suffer so then I started freaking out.

I give Stormbreaker an A, it is an amazing book, trust me, if you're into this kind of genre: read this book, you will not want to put it down!

City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare is a very exciting and thrilling book to read. It is the fourth book in The Mortal Instruments series and covers things like love, killing, demons, demon slayers, angels, werewolves, vampires and things of that nature.

In City of Fallen Angels, you follow three of the main characters, Simon, Clary, and Jace, as they experience their own separate adventures, while still somehow being connected to each other. All of these characters stories add to the story, and give you a better understanding of what is happening throughout the book. A lot of this may be a little confusing, but it will all make sense.

Jace has grown up his entire life training, acting, and thinking like a Shadowhunter, and he is very skilled at what he does. Most of this book, he is motivated by one person. This person is Clary, his girlfriend. However, in this book he gets possessed by Lillith, a Greater Demon, who forces Jace into doing her bidding for her. She gets into his head and demands that he bring Clary to her so Simon will be more motivated to bring her "child", Sebastian, back to life. She believes Sebastian's demon blood will allow him to come back to life.

Clary was just a girl. Until the first book in this series when she discovers she is actually a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters are the heroes of this world. They help defend humans and Downworlders (vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks) from demons. In this book, she starts her Shadowhunter training and soon discovers that she will have to use these skills a lot sooner than she thinks, and it might have to be against Jace, a person she thought she would never have to hurt.

Simon is a vampire. And in this world, the myth about vampires getting scorched in sunlight is true. Except this rule doesn't apply to Simon. He can walk in sunlight and not get the slightest bit burned. Because of this ability, many Shadowhunters, vampires, and werewolves call him "Daylighter". Simon is pursued throughout the book by many different, not so nice, creatures that all want him to join their side. At one point he even gets tricked into going to one of the worst demons in history to try and bring Sebastian back to life. This demon thinks that turning Sebestain into something like a vampire will make him come back to life. Sebastian is Clary's brother who everyone assumed to be dead beyond the point of return.

In the final chapters of this book, these three characters come together. Clary helps Jace break free of Lillith's spell. Jace then defeats Lillith in a long, grueling and painful battle, but it's too late. Simon has already taken some of Sebastian's blood, and Sebastian has taken his. Now Sebastian has an even greater chance at coming back to life.

I loved this book, but there is one thing I would change about the book and that is how it ends. It sounds like there is going to be another book added to the series. If there isn't another book, it's one of those endings that will make you think of your own ending, and I personally don't like those stories. If you are thinking about reading this book, I suggest you read the other three books first. Grade A-

Extras

This amazing book Extras, by Scott Westerfeld, is full of suspense and adventure. To have this book make the most sense, you should read the trilogy before it because this book is based on that trilogy. That trilogy is the Uglies series, but there is an extra book at the end, and that is Extras. This fiction post-apocalyptic book is filled with thrilling scenes, and even a sprinkle of romance.

Aya, the main girl of Extras, is an extra. Everything around her is about being famous. To be famous, you have to "kick" a good story, and get attention from the others to earn a higher face rank. Aya wants her face rank, or the order of who's most famous, to be higher like her brother's, Hiro. Tally Youngblood is number one, the most famous of all, because of her mind rain that cured all of the old time Pretties that had virus's in their heads. (Again, look at Scott Westerfeld's trilogy before.) Aya joins in with the Sly Girls to get a good "kick" story. These Sly Girls have done some amazing things, but it's nothing like this kick stuff coming up. Aliens, smart matter, hollow mountains . . . what does it all mean? Does kicking a good story matter more than saving the world?

This book is really good. In the very beginning, it can be sort of hard to follow because of this new post-apocalyptic language and style. However, it will make sense very soon and once you get into it, it is really interesting and it was really hard for me to put the book down. This book could end in so many ways, but I think the way it ends is the best it could have ended. I definitely think this book had a better finality to it, compared to his trilogy and it was a great read.

So, will Aya solve the mystery of these strange creatures? Will one of the most famous guys, Frizz Mizuno, like her in return? Or will he use his Radical Honesty to tell her something different? You can only find out if you read this radical book, Extras.

Grade: A-